A Day In Singapore

On Wednesday March 16, we arrived in Singapore. It was immediately evident that we were in a truly advanced nation. The unique architecture and stunning structures were visible from my cabin window. Singapore was definitely a midpoint between a modernized US city’s downtown area and the Jetsons. The infrastructure just appeared to be so advanced. Since we only had one day in the country, we decided to just explore the city and see a few of its main attractions. Our first stop was some extravagant hotel to see its art gallery, which we had heard so much about.

After the art exhibit, we headed to the heart of downtown Singapore and walked through their shopping district, which included many luxury stores and upscale restaurants. After some minor purchases and a tumultuous down pour, we headed to China town. There we tasted some local food from street vendors and tried bubble tea. China Town was really nice and the vendors there had a great variety of products to choose from. I was excited to make it to China a few points later because of what I had seen there.

At this point in the day, we were ready to grab a bite to eat and definitely wanted to try some of the “traditionally Singaporean” foods and drinks. We headed to the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. The hotel was recommended to us because of its rooftop infinity pool that overlooked the city and the great restaurants that the hotel offered. When we got there, the first thing I noticed was how nice the architecture of the building was. Building consisted of 3 really tall towers that were connected by the rooftop pool that resembled a huge ship. It was seriously a stunning structure. While there we had the opportunity to try the Singapore sling, a popular drink. And we also had Singaporean Chilli Crab, a popular meal. Though we only had a day in Singapore, the country was really nice and I enjoyed the time spent there. I definitely have to go back though.

Chennai Orphanage Visit and Local Experience

On March 10^th after an amazing trip around India I met up with my Morehouse brothers and another one of our friends and headed to an orphanage in Chennai. I brought crayons and coloring books along with a few Morehouse shirts to pass out. My Morehouse brothers had managed to get cookies and other things to pass out to the children also. We got a rickshaw and headed to the Orphanage to interact with the preschool aged children there for daycare as well as the older high school aged boys who were orphaned and called the school home.  We spent a few hours there watching the children dance and witnessing the English lesson in the older students class. While we were there we also saw a pregnant woman getting prenatal care, she got weighed and got her stomach measured and recorded. They were tracking the changes throughout her pregnancy. It was amazing how facilities were utilized for so many different causes.

That evening, we accompanied two of our friends to their Rotarian homestay. We arrived at a loft style apartment building and took the elevator up to their host father’s luxury apartment. After offering us drinks and refreshments, the host (Christopher) talked to us about Indian traditions and he went in to detail about his experience with having an arranged marriage. He crushed the western perception of the couple dreading the experience and told us about the connection that he and his wife shared. He also told us about his professional accomplishments and his work for NASA as an engineer. He was really knowledgeable and definitely imparted a lot of wisdom onto us.

After the light refreshments Christopher took us all to a traditional Indian restaurant and taught us the proper way to eat the different meals. We got a variety of dishes and shared them all. It was a great experience and I hope to have a similar meal back home.

On March 11^th we departed for Singapore but not before we spent the day gathering last minute souvenirs and snacks for the days at sea. India was definitely a very complex nation and it ultimately led to a legit cultural experience.

Varanasi

Our sleeper train left Agra at about 11 pm and was set to arrive in Varanasi about 12 hours later. For some reason I expected an air-conditioned, electrified, comfortable ride…especially considering the first-class ticket that we purchased… but I got none of that. Our group of 40 was split up and about 11 of us,  each with 5 days worth of luggage, shared 5 bunks meant for 5 people. Because of the minimal sanitation and the warning of theft while sleeping, I used my bag as my pillow and tried to get as good of sleep as I could…sleeping with one eye open. Needless to say, I didn’t get much sleep but we did end up having a decent experience. In the bunk across from me there was a native Indian couple and their son. They spoke pretty good English and were very nice. I gave their son a few crayons and a coloring book and he really enjoyed it. We all conversed and questioned one another. I realized that though the sleeper train was definitely not my preferred method of transportation, it showed me an aspect of the Indian lifestyle that I would not have otherwise experienced.

On March 8^th we eventually made our way to Varanasi —the oldest inhabited city on earth— where we boarded another tour bus. The bus took us to our hotel where we checked in and got cleaned up from the overnight train. We ate lunch (Nan and rice were the staple items) and a few of us visited the hotels silk store. The storeowner was an older gentleman selling local handcrafted silk items, ranging from scarves to Sarees. Varanasi silk is very well known and he made sure to emphasize how authentic his products were. Since we had a few days in Varanasi I decided to hold out on any purchases.

We eventually broke up into pairs to board rickshaws. This time we got into small carriages and a man on a bike pedaled us around.  We visited a Hindu temple and learned a bit about the Geography of India. Inside the temple there was a giant 3-D map of country. It had every location within India, spanning between Sri Lanka to Nepal. After some details about the history within the temple, we left and headed to the Ganges River.

Our Rikshaws dropped us off at street market right in front of the waterfront. Our tour guide took us through the markets. Hundreds of storefronts lined the narrow alleyway. It was seriously like a miniature city with tons and tons of intersections where different alleyways crossed one another. The cobblestone walkway seemed to go on forever and we passed shop after shop each selling some variation of the same thing—food, hand crafted artifacts, or silk products. The pathway that our guide took us down eventually led back to the waterfront where we boarded a decent sized wooden boat.

We sailed on the Ganges River, which is believed to be a holy place for both Buddhist and Hindus. Our guide explained to us why there were hundreds of people bathing in the body of water. Many believed that by bathing in the Ganges River they were ridding themselves of all of their sins and giving themselves a fresh start. There were even people brushing their teeth—toothbrush and toothpaste in hand.  While on the river, we also witnessed a cremation ceremony. Our guide shared with us the step-by-step break down of the cremation ritual. The families of those whom had passed were all in attendance and before cremating the body a group would submerge the body in the river. The whole ordeal was really interesting and it was great to witness such sacred practices.

During the ceremony a local woman passed out floating candles and we placed the candles in the river after making a wish. It is believed that your wish will actualize because of the holiness of the river.

After the ceremony we made our way back to the river front and had a bit more shopping time. We eventually headed back to the hotel on Rickshaws and ate another traditional Indian dinner.

The next day, was March 9^th and we woke up really early to watch the sunrise on the Ganges River. We made it there and really enjoyed the sight. We had an evening flight and had a jam-packed day up until the flight to Chennai.

We went to both Marble and Silk factories and had the opportunity to purchase products at a good price. After the factories…we had the opportunity to either play cricket or visit an orphanage. I opted to visit an orphanage so that I could pass out some of the Morehouse paraphernalia and the crayons that I brought on the trip.

We met a group of local children and taught them how to play duck duck goose. It was honestly a great experience and despite the language barrier we were able to communicate with the children. After a great meal, we made our way to the airport and headed to Chennai.

Agra

The bus ride to Agra took us through all types of terrain; we drove through urban areas undeveloped areas as well as rural areas. After a while though, I couldn’t tell the difference haha. We grabbed a quick lunch before heading to a traditional Indian restaurant for lunch. There we were served a few different dishes all of which were very interesting. I tried a bit of everything but stuck with noodles and nan (a pita bread like side dish). One thing that was similar about all of the dishes was the intense seasoning. Everything had a distinct taste and was often pretty spicy.

After lunch, we did a bit of shopping and eventually made our way back to the bus to head to the Taj Mahal.

Before we got to the Taj, we had to go through security. They had separate lines for men and women and made sure to inspect every item brought in. Once I passed the security checkpoing, the first thing I noticed was the stray dogs walking aroung the entrance to the Taj Mahal. I eventually took notice of the beautiful architecture that stood of into the distance. It was actually surreal. We entered into a gigantic archway that led to a big courtyard lined with trees, fountains and flowers.  At the other end of the manicured lawn was the Taj Mahal. An eggshell colored master piece. The marble glistened in the sun and the building seriously looked like God had constructed it with his own hands. Our tour guide shared with us the history behind the structure and that made being in the structure have even more of an impact.   We eventually made our way into the Taj, but not before putting on the red shoe covers that we were given. The portion of the taj visitors are allowed to enter is just as beautiful and the exterior. The marble is finely crafted and while visiting, you can honestly feel the emotion that went into constructing it.  After countless pictures, we met up as a group and headed back to the bus. It was time to get dinner and head to the train station for the sleeper train to Varanasi.

Delhi

In order to make the most of my time in India, I signed up for a guided trip to see many of the major attractions throughout India. Our first stop was Delhi, to see Gandhi’s memorial and the resting place of his ashes. Our flight from Chennai to Delhi left at 7:45 pm on our first night in India. So after a day of sightseeing and souvenir shopping in Chennai we made or way to the airport with everything packed in carry on luggage (my hiking backpack finally got put to use).

The set up of the airport was definitely different than the airports that I’ve been to in America. There were like 5 different checkpoints that we had to go through before we got to the terminal. The first checkpoint issued a print out of my itinerary and instructed me to go through a security point where they matched my itinerary with my passport. Then we went through a bag scan area before going to the actual ticket counter. There the teller issued us our actual tickets and took checked luggage. From there we went through the legit security checkpoint consisting of metal detectors and hand wands.  After all of that, we made it to the terminal where we waited for our flight number to be called over the loud speaker. After a minor delay, our flight was called and we lined up to board shuttle busses that took us out onto the runway where we boarded the plane. The plane was pretty normal on the inside, and the takeoff and landing procedures (seatbelt signs, no electronics until notified) were all the same.

After a few hours, we had touched down in Delhi. We got off the plane and headed to the pick up area where our tour guide met us and led us to our tour bus. As we boarded the bus, the bus drivers and his assistants gave each of us lays as they welcomed us to Delhi. Because it was so late, we headed to the hotel. There, we ate a nice meal and rested up for the next day.

Day one in India was definitely eventful but Monday March 7^th was just as packed.

We woke up and had eaten breakfast all by 7:30, at which point we boarded the bus to head to Gandhi’s memorial. After a short ride through Delhi, we made it to the resting place of Gandhi’s ashes. The bus let us out in front of what appeared to be a very well maintained park, with tree lined walkways and well manicured lawns. The main walkway took us into an enclosed courtyard. There we took off our shoes and entered into the enclosure. Our guide told us how sacred the grounds were, and shared details about the sight.

In the middle of the courtyard was a stone enclosure with a lamp like structure that had a fire burning inside of it. In front of the lamp there was a marble shrine where people had placed flowers and other mementos. Our guide told us that the fire always burns and that Gandhi’s ashes burn in the lamp.  After walking around the courtyard and reading the writings inscribed in the walls, we made our way back to the bus. We had a 4-hour bus ride to Agra to see the Taj mahal.

Indian 21st

We got to Chennai, India on Sunday March 6^th…my 21^st birthday. Since we were in port on my birthday, we celebrated the night before on the ship. Had a cake and all that but unlike most newly “legal” young adults, my birthday recap doesn’t include some drunken experience.

Before leaving the ship, every passenger was required to go through customs. Surprisingly, all of the customs agents I interacted with asked me if I spoke Hindi (they thought I was Indian). After clearing customs my friends and I headed out into the town with the intention of exploring the area. We boarded auto rickshaws, motorized carriages that filled the streets like taxis, and headed to many local shops. To get to the shops, we drove through the crowded streets of Chennai. There were people everywhere and auto rickshaws, motorcycles and cars filled the streets to capacity. I don’t think I have ever seen so many generations of people at one time—there were people of all ages ranging from ancient to newborn. To top it off, there were dogs and cows roaming the streets freely.  As to be expected, we were bombarded with tons of strong smells. The ride through India was really cool, and before making it to the shops we passed tons of interesting architecture. All of the shops sold items native to India. There were hand woven scarves, carpets, shirts, saris and much more. They also offered tons of jewelry and household items. As usual we were free to barter, so I went to work ensuring that I got good deals for all the things that I purchased.

 

After hitting a few street shops and vendors, we made our way to a traditional Indian restaurant. We were seated at a normal booth like table that was set with 4 large green banana leaves instead of plates. The table didn’t have any silverware, but had 4 metal bowls with different sauces in them. After looking over the menu, we ordered our food and drank bottled water. Our food was served on large platters with enough food for us to share…had we known that we probably would have ordered less. Locals eat everything with their hands and use the banana leaves as plates. The waiter could tell that we were foreigners and brought silver ware for us to use. The meal was really spicy, and the white rice was sort of a cooling agent. After paying for the meal (it was like $9 for 3 people to eat an entire meal) we headed back to the ship to get our bags to make our flight to Delhi.